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Carmine Persico
After the Gallo/Profaci war, "Joe Maylak" Magliocco and head of the Bonanno crime family, Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno, became friendly and decided to create the Bonanno/Profaci alliance so they could work together and become more powerful than ever. That's when they realized that the remaining Commission members Carlo Gambino and Thomas Lucchese had influenced the Gallo brothers to continue fighting, and decided to organize the murders of both Gambino and Lucchese, and take control over the Commission. But when giving the assassination plans to Profaci capo "Joe" Colombo, Colombo felt murdering Gambino would only bring the end of the Cosa Nostra, and approached both Gambino and Lucchese and told them about the plans of Magliocco and Bonanno. Both Magliocco and Bonanno were brought in front of the Commission, where only Magliocco showed up, who was brought pitty, fined $50,000 and forced to step down as Boss of the Profaci crime family, who Colombo, for his loyal service toward the Commission, was rewarded with the position of Boss, and rechristened the family to the Colombo crime family. After more than ten years of service, Colombo rewarded Carmine Perscio, who was imprisoned during the entire time for hijacking and extortion, the position of caporegime under the new leadership of Joseph Colombo. When reaching Caporegime under Colombo's leadership, Carmine "Junior" Perscio was at the streets at all costs. When Joe Valachi became the first federal cooperator of the Cosa Nostra, he testified that "Whenever business on the streets, Persico was always there", as Persico became involved with labor racketeering, extortion, loansharking, illegal gambling, hijacking and especially murder for hire. In this way, the Carmine Persico crew became, during the late 1960s, one of the most profitable crew of the entire Colombo crime family. In the late 1960s, Colombo became very attached to the Italian-American Civil Rights League, and which would lead him to his downfall, as Carlo Gambino, considered the most powerful Mob boss in New York, influenced the Commission and thought Colombo was attracting too much attention, attention the Mafia didn't need. On June 28, 1971, thousands of people converged on Manhattan's Columbus Circle for the second annual Italian-American Civil Rights League rally. Apparently, the African-American Jerome Johnson shot Colombo in the middle of the crowd, while the second assassin escaped and was never identified, as FBI officials stated that his assassination was organized by someone much more powerful than Johnson. Both Carlo Gambino and Carmine Perscio, as well as a dozen others, were arrested and questioned days later, as Joseph Gallo was questioned while in prison. No one would be tried or indicted following the Colombo shooting. Colombo survived, but lingered in a coma without regaining consciousness for nearly seven years. On May 22, 1978, Joe Colombo died at his New Jersey estate. Days after the shootout of Joe Colombo, Persico would be arrested and questioned for organizing his murder, but was let off. At the same time, he would be tried again for loansharking, extortion, and murder charges, but due to lack of evidence, Persico was let off in several cases in 1971. After releasing from prison, Persico was eventually considered the new recognized boss of the Colombo crime family, but due to law enforcement and constant surveillance, he demoted himself to the Underboss position and put Vincenzo "Vinny" Aloi as acting boss while he was on trial. Although not officially made Boss, Persico was in much control of the family. But in late 1971, an old Colombo enforcer, "Crazy Joe" Gallo, was released after serving ten years for extortion, and Persico's future as Boss of the Colombo crime family looked very dark, as they thought Gallo was ready to start a new war against the Colombo faction. On April 7, 1972, Gallo was celebrating his birthday at the Copacabana night club with a group of friends. Gallo, his bodyguard, and four women went to Little Italy in downtown Manhattan, looking for a restaurant that was open. They found their way to Umberto's Clam House on Mulberry Street, when suddenly the party was interrupted as gunmen started shooting. Gallo was hit several times, but made it outside and died while converging on his Cadillac. Carmine Persico was arrested days later, but released as law enforcement had no evidence. Later, Persico would be imprisoned for hijacking and loansharking from 1973 to 1979, and then when his releasement, sentenced to five years for extortion. Still, throughout the 1970s, Persico was in control of the Colombo crime family as its Underboss. During his 1973 to 1979 incarceration Persico was able to maintain control and influence over the crime family. This was due to his ability of having placed key members such as Dominick "Donnie Shacks" Montemarano and Joseph "Joe T." Tomasello, both coming from Persico's time with the Gallo brothers. Others included Charles Panarella and the Aloi brothers, Vincenzo "Vinny" Aloi and Benedetto "Benny" Aloi. Persico's imprisonment also coincided with the release of his brother Alphonse for the previous murder confession. Alphonse Persico would be named acting boss and alongside him were longtime Persico family associates Gennaro Langella and his brother Teddy Persico. On January 31, 1985 the FBI named Persico as the 390th Fugitive to be added to the Ten Most Wanted list. Persico had heard of indictments coming up, involving racketeering, extortion, murder and conspiracy, and went into hiding. Thomas DiBella had stepped down as acting boss for Persico, and Gennaro "Jerry Lang" Langella was installed by Persico while he was a fugitive. Persico was arrested February 15, 1985 in Wantagh, New York, and indicted together with 10 other highly prominent members of the Five Families. The investigations resulted in the Mafia Commission Trial which began 10 days after Persico was captured. editLife imprisonment Carmine "Junior" Persico was eventually indicted on murder, conspiracy and labor and construction racketeering in early 1985. After firing his lawyer, Persico decided to defend himself during the trial, which was highly unusual by anyone, especially a Boss of one of the Five Families. Persico would receive a help counsel of lawyers who could guide him when the prosecutors asked him questions 5. But eventually in 1986, Persico, Gennaro "Jerry Lang" Langella, and all the defendants, were found guilty on all charges, receiving life imprisonment, in addition to 39 years for extortion provided by informers and bugs days earlier. He was also fined $250,000. Carmine Persico was removed off the streets, and put behind bars at the Lompoc Federal Prison in Lompoc, California. editBrooklyn rivalry After Persico's conviction, rivalry would be developed in the Colombo crime family, as Persico named Vittorio "Vic" Orena as acting boss in 1988. Orena, a strong and loyal Brooklyn caporegime, who also was related to Persico, became disregarded with the current leadership, and decided to replace Persico as the head of the Colombo crime family during the late 1980s, as he became allied with Gambino crime family Boss, John Gotti. This made it easy for Orena to seize control of the family, by influencing the capos Vincent and Benedetto Aloi editThird Colombo war Eventually, Persico felt threatened by Orena, and with the help of Carmine Sessa, the Colombo Consigliere, he organized the would-be-murder of Orena and struck first. On June 20, 1991, a five-man hit team led by Sessa, converged on Orena's home on Long Island. But one of the shooters started firing his weapon before the other men were in position, where Orena saw them coming and manage to escape. After the attempt on Orena's life, Sessa appealed to the Commission on behalf of Persico, portraying Orena as an upstart who was betraying his longtime boss, and that removing him was the only way. In 1993, After a total of twelve murdered, two of who were bystanders, and 15 wounded, the FBI and Brooklyn AUSA took down the whole Orena faction, including Victor Orena himself who was arrested in 1992. Days later, more than 40 members of the Persico faction would be arrested and indicted for racketeering, murder and conspiracy to commit murder. It was during the Colombo trials, that Persico's chief and Underboss, Gregory Scarpa Sr., would be recognized as an informer, and testify against dozens of members of the Colombo crime family, including Vic Orena. In late 1992, Orena's most powerful Caporegime, Pasquale "Patty" Amato, was arrested along with the remaining Orena faction. Later, the imprisoned Carmine "Junior" Persico and the remaining Persico faction claimed the victory of the third Colombo War. Orena and his underlings would be sentenced to life imprisonment and excluded form the Colombo crime family. 6 editNew family structure After the third Colombo War from 1991 to 1993, Persico's son, Alphonse "Little Allie Boy" Persico was an expected candidate for Boss, as he was recognized as Caporegime in 1986 by law enforcement, but as he was on trial for association with known organized crime figures, Persico installed a committee consisting of Persico's brother and captain, Teddy Persico, along with Joseph Baudanza and Joseph "Joe T." Tomasello, but with the releasement of Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo in 1994, a powerful member of the Colombo crime family and another Persico relative, Persico chose Russo as acting boss and disbanded the panel in early 1994. Andrew Russo would eventually be arrested and jailed in 1996. Longtime Orena loyalist Joel "Joe Waverly" Cacace would then step up for Persico. editAt Lompoc Penitentiary Persico was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1986 and shipped off to the Lompoc Federal Penitentiary in Lompoc, California, where his inmate-number was 74666-158. While incarcerated with dozens of his associates, Persico met Joseph "J.R." Russo, who was one of his former associates of the Lucchese crime family, however, also the reputed Consigliere of the Providence-based Patriarca crime family, before he was eventually sentenced to 15 years for murder at Lompoc. Although incarcerated for the rest of his natural life, Persico formed the "Lompoc Four", a band in which Russo played guitar and Persico played the drums, as well as participating in the annual prison rodeo competition. After the death of Russo in 1998, Persico did his time at Lompoc until 2004, when Lompoc was broken up and lower security inmates flooded the gates, as well as it turned into a correctional facility and all maximum inmates were transferred. Persico was shipped to a medium correctional facility in North Carolina, next to its satellite medical prison, because at the time he was dying of emphysema. 7 While Alphonse Persico was out of prison, he couldn't take over the leadership until early 1999, when he was released after the murder charges from the third Colombo War. Allie Persico became full acting boss of the much weakened Colombo crime family sometime in 1999, as he and loyal Persico Underboss, John "Jackie" DeRoss organized the murders of former Orena supporters in William "Wild Bill" Cutolo's crew, who himself was summoned to a meeting in a hope of becoming Underboss, and was never seen again. One member of Cutolo's crew, Joseph "Joe Campy" Campanella, was shot by Allie Persico's entourage, but managed to survive, and later became a government witness. The planned executions were allegedly on Persico Sr's orders. editFamily crackdowns Allie's reign as Colombo crime family boss was soon cut short by a string of new convictions. In 2000, Allie was sentenced to 18 months in prison on gun charges. The Coast Guard had searched his boat in Florida and found a loaded .38 handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun. On January 24, 2001, the day of his release for the gun charges, Allie was indicted again in New York on loansharking charges and held without bail as a suspect in Cutolo's disappearance. On December 20, 2001, Allie pleaded guilty to the loansharking charges, accepted a 13 year prison sentence, and agreed to forfeit $1 million. On October 14, 2004, Allie and DeRoss were indicted on federal racketeering charges, including conspiring to murder Cutolo and Joe Campanella. The two defendants' first trial ended in a mistrial. On December 28, 2007, Allie Boy Persico and Jackie DeRoss were convicted of Cutolo's murder. Like his father, Allie will probably be serving the rest of his life in prison. As of November 2007, Carmine "Junior" Persico still remains the reputed Boss of the Colombo crime family, with current street boss Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli, and former Persico rival, John "Sonny" Franzese as the Underboss, but due to parole violations, Andrew "Andy Mush" Russo is the acting Underboss instead of Franzese, with the Aloi brothers, Vincenzo and Benedetto, as alleged Consigliere. Carmine Persico has reportedly been running the Colombo crime family since the 1970s, days after Joseph Colombo was shot, and Persico's name has been mentioned in dozens of murder-cases since then, as he has been in charge of the Colombos for over three decades. During his 50-year-membership with the Colombo crime family, he has survived three internal wars, his life sentence, and allegedly been shot more than 20 times. Persico is also only one of three defendants from the Mafia Commission Trial who received 100 years and is still alive. Still, Persico remains the Boss of the Colombo crime family. As of October 2008, Persico is serving a life imprisonment at the Buttner Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Medium in North Carolina. His projected release-date is March 20, 2050, effectively a life sentence. Category:Bosses